Recovery is the Level of Happiness We
Obtain
By Jeffrey V. Perry CPRP, MSM, Program
Manager for Baltic Street, AEH, Inc. Peer Bridger Program
The pursuit of happiness is something
we must remain vigilant in attaining. It is the central core of any
human’s right to be. Recovery, in my estimation, is solely about
one’s level of happiness in perspective to a worldview of
satisfaction, not the individual short-term peace we could have. I
hope my recovery will be long-term and self-sustaining. My life’s
happiness, health, and mental stability are only as good as the level
of satisfaction I have within, and put in place for, myself. My life
goals in recovery are for this quality of life, which I see as what
any person with a history of diagnosed or undiagnosed mental illness,
substance abuse, medical problem or anyone with a compromised
condition, deserves.
One’s awareness of their personal
level of satisfaction is the most important factor in understanding
if there is a “problem here.” It is often those undiagnosed
individuals who have not addressed their situation by getting help,
treatment, or services, who feel their sense of satisfaction
diminished or who are in a total denial of any problem, and fight an
uphill battle; while those diagnosed face other struggles, such as a
search for any level of recovery, which is supposed to, by
definition, be the down-hill fight. When you find the right
combination of treatment for yourself, there is a better chance for
recovery. But oftentimes, treatment may not focus on any level of
recovery, and instead focus only on symptoms management. This, yet,
at the cost of a diminished level of personal happiness and a
lackluster recovery that takes time away for one’s regular life
pursuits, cloaked in a stigma of social inferiority, particular in
today’s I-based “IPod” existence.
We have being fighting against stigma
on many fronts in our recovery, yet never did we conceive that it
would in fact increase rather than be eliminated. As technology
becomes more refined the gap between those looking for real happiness
becomes much wider, because we have to wade through every new wave in
technology to understand what we need in order to be happy again. Not
to mention the high prices that we can never afford while in economic
symptom arrest.
While under symptom management, in many
instances, when our possessions are taken away for old safety-based
reasons, they are never accounted for, or remembered (by the
confiscator), or promptly returned. Where others would be furious, we
become justifiably upset, yet, we, and our possessions, may be
dismissed to causality.
So, we get to understand that life can
be cruel, even under the direct care of others who prefer to see us
however is most convenient at that particular time (not to single out
any institution or individual). It seems to me that it is second
nature to take advantage of the disabled, who many look down upon, or
simply have low regard for in contrast to their “able” selves,
and who believe that the disabled, of course, are naturally less
happy, or, at least, they should be. It is indeed a miracle if a
disabled person is happy. When will we each admit that we are all
disabled or handicapped in some way? Is it not only about personal
fulfillment or about accomplishing tasks?
One of the failures of symptom
management is that it has not yet helped people rise to the level
where they can find the kind of work that fulfills them. Medication
cannot motivate a person or inspire them. And it certainly may help
us do that which we want not to do, like not thinking clearly, being
irritable and bothered by everything, or just not feel well, and
possibly even behave in a negative manner. But, all in all, it’s
about progress, isn’t it? We must move forward like anyone else.
Right?
Note: This essay is from, A Peer on
Peer Perspective in Psychiatric Health (In Prose and Poetry) by
Jeffrey V. Perry, CPRP available in e-book formats. For more
from Mr. Perry, please visit http://www.jeffreyvperry.com
